Diplomatic and religious initiatives to halt intense fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are gaining momentum amid fears of a wider regional conflict fueled by the country’s vast mineral wealth. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who recently seized control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, held a rally on Thursday in a bid to reassure the city’s more than two million residents of stability under their administration.
The rally at Goma’s city stadium comes as international pressure mounts following reports that nearly 3,000 people have been killed in clashes between the rebels and Congolese forces. Despite announcing a unilateral ceasefire last week on humanitarian grounds, the rebels continued their advance, seizing the mining town of Nyabibwe near South Kivu’s capital, Bukavu, on Wednesday.
The conflict has triggered a worsening humanitarian crisis, drawing the attention of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Reports indicate that bodies remain unburied on the streets, hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and running out of medical supplies, and essential services are collapsing. Outbreaks of mpox and cholera are spreading due to a lack of clean water and electricity.
In response, Congolese authorities have announced plans to present a motion to the UN Human Rights Council, calling for an investigation into what they describe as “mass violations” of human rights in Goma, a city that already shelters tens of thousands displaced by ongoing violence in the region.
The conflict’s regional implications remain a growing concern, as the M23 rebels, reportedly supported by 4,000 Rwandan troops, continue their advance in eastern DRC, a region rich in minerals essential to global technology industries.
In a bid to seek a resolution, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi is set to participate in a high-level summit of Eastern and Southern African leaders in Tanzania on February 7 and 8. Rwandan President Paul Kagame is also expected to attend, raising hopes for diplomatic engagement to ease tensions.
Amid the escalating violence, religious leaders are intensifying peace efforts. Catholic and Protestant churches in the DRC have presented a “crisis exit plan” to President Tshisekedi, urging an end to the bloodshed. The World Council of Churches (WCC) has also called for dialogue, expressing readiness to support political negotiations through its member churches.
Pope Francis has repeatedly called for prayers and a peaceful resolution to the crisis, using every available occasion to appeal for an end to the suffering in Goma and South Kivu.
As international diplomatic and faith-based initiatives gain momentum, the fate of Goma and the region remains uncertain, with the potential for an expanded conflict posing a grave threat to stability in Central Africa.